Trigger Points
From Running tips for everyone from beginners to racing marathons and ultramarathons
It is common for muscles to develop 'trigger points', also called 'muscle knots'. These trigger points can be felt as small, hard lumps in the muscle that can be painful when pressed. These trigger points can cause the muscle to be under continuous contraction, putting stress on the associated tendon. My experience is that many tendon problems are actually due to trigger points in the muscle. It is counterintuitive to work on a muscle that does not hurt to fix a tendon that is causing pain, but this approach has worked for me and others I know. Trigger points are best treated with massage.
